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[Ric Gillespie]

Okay, this is a tough one.

We're trying to get a good measurement for the length of Amelia's arms for comparison to the castaway bones.  We hoped that measuring the sleeves on the jacket in the Purdue collection would give us that data but that method proved to be too sloppy.  Photos show that the jacket was a bit big for AE and how do you compensate for wrinkles in the sleeve?
The photo below shows AE standing by the open cabin door in Darwin.  We know the door dimensions but, unfortunately, the door is not in the same plane (no pun intended) as her arm.  BUT, if we knew the dimensions of that can she's holding we would have something to work with.  The label seems to say "Mobilubricant" and the can is surely a standard size can for that era.  Maybe cans like that are still in use today.  Can we find one of those cans?
 

[Jerry Germann]

I believe it is a grease pail....I have found an old Socony 5 lb pail that measures 6 3/4 tall and 5 and 3/16ths wide ,..but will do further research on the Mobil can.

Here is one similar on Ebay, ..will contact seller for dimensions.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Vintage-Very-Early-Mobilgrease-2-Grease-Can-5-Lb-Can-1409-/112391800856?hash=item1a2b12c818:g:O-YAAOSw2XFUjfmx

[Matt Revington]

I think Jerry is correct,

from the  Luke Field Inventory

"56   *1   "   10 lb. can Mobilgrease, No. 2
57   *1   "   5 lb. can Mobilgrease, No.2"

[Jerry Germann]

The seller of the Mobil can has given us one dimension in his posted photos. It is exact as the Socony can  (predecessor to Mobil) 5 3/16ths inches wide....all we need is the height of the can from this fellow to see how it compares to the older Socony can. I have been looking at the striping on the Mobil can Earhart holds and the one listed on Ebay, and they seem close, but maybe a wide strip in the center of the adjacent stripes near the bottom is different somehow....would be ideal to get exact can, as I don't know if they changed sizes throughout the following war years and beyond. One good identifier is that it appears that where the handle ( used to be) attached on the can on ebay ( small triangle areas on two corners) still qualifies it.
I believe we can get some good estimates of Earhart's radius and arm length by using these object tools,...more to come.

[Ric Gillespie]

You guys are unbelievable!

The Luke Field inventory does list Mobilgrease. This can seems to say Mobilubricant, but she's in Darwin.  Same stuff, slightly different product name in Australia? 

[Andrew M McKenna]

Just a nit to pick with Ric

Research? You mean Research?

Might want to change the title of this thread.

:-)

AMCK

[Ric Gillespie]

Might want to change the title of this thread.

I don't think I can (pun intended). 

[Ricker H Jones]

Another similar can from Ebay, several photos, one photo with a ruler at this link

[Jeff Lange]

Strange to see a lubricant can in such a rusty condition. Makes me wonder if it was steam cleaned of all lubricant residue and used for other purposes before being discarded to then rust out.

[Jerry Germann]

Here is the older Socony can....it holds 5 lbs of material. This can was on on Ebay some time ago,...note tape measure used to help the prospective buyer with it's size.
 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Early-1900-039-s-Socony-Oil-Lubricant-5-Pound-Standard-Oil-Co-Can-NY-Mobil-/122397059270?hash=item1c7f6ee8c6%3Ag%3AGqsAAOSwax5Ywg3B&nma=true&si=2jWS%252B5WUA8f6Z54veeMBaLxSwro%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

I mentioned this before but Socony was the predecessor to Mobil, and I don't know as they would change the can size,when switching to Mobil, but rather relabel with the new logo and name. We might hold off on using these measurements  for a bit, though as Ric mentioned, the can Earhart holds may have a different label and may have been purchased at some stop along the way, and may contain a metric volume of material instead, thus possibly making the can slightly different in size. I asked the seller for dimensions of the Mobile grease can I found earlier, but note that it is now sold, but am still holding out hope that he will send us the exact dimensions of that, before he ships it to it's new owner.

[Joy Diane Forster]

Does anybody in this forum belong to the forum on oldgas.com?  It's a forum for collectors of old gas station memorabilia.  The photo of the mobilubricant can could be posted there for help in identifying it and its measurements.  They have a gallery with quite a few cans, but I don't see anything that matches.

FYI, apparently Mobilubricant was a product of Vacuum Oil Company, which was a predecessor of Socony (Standard Oil). Then later it became Mobil Oil.

If no one here belongs to the Oldgas forum, I can take a crack at trying to post it.

Joy

[Ric Gillespie]

We might hold off on using these measurements  for a bit, though as Ric mentioned, the can Earhart holds may have a different label and may have been purchased at some stop along the way, and may contain a metric volume of material instead, thus possibly making the can slightly different in size. I asked the seller for dimensions of the Mobile grease can I found earlier, but note that it is now sold, but am still holding out hope that he will send us the exact dimensions of that, before he ships it to it's new owner.

See below for the full frame of the photo.  What's going on in this picture?  They're in Darwin, Australia - the last "real place" before the long hop to Howland.  It seems safe to assume that they're either off-loading stuff to leave in Darwin or they're loading stuff aboard that has been acquired in Darwin.  Two parachutes, a bottle of nitrogen for servicing the landing gear struts, a spare tail wheel, a control yoke, a can of tomato juice (on the cabin floor), a "paint can" style can of lubricant on the ground, and the Mobilubricant can AE is holding.  "Last Flight" says she left the parachutes in Darwin but press accounts by journalists who were there say she picked up two parachutes that had been shipped to her in Darwin.  Also, off-loading full cans of lubricant she might need in servicing the aircraft in Lae doesn't make sense, so it looks like this is all stuff she has acquired in Darwin.
Metric?  When did Australia go metric?  I can read "lbs" on the can of lubricant on the ground.

The new owner of the eBay can is none other than Jeff Glickman.  Jeff will use the can to recreate the exact angle seen in the photo so that he can give Dr. Jantz an accurate measurement of AE's arm for comparison to the castaway's arm bones.
Jeff is not looking forward to explaining to his wife why he bought an ancient, rusty can half full of grease. 

[Jerry Germann]

The new owner of the eBay can is none other than Jeff Glickman.  Jeff will use the can to recreate the exact angle seen in the photo so that he can give Dr. Jantz an accurate measurement of AE's arm for comparison to the castaway's arm bones.
Jeff is not looking forward to explaining to his wife why he bought an ancient, rusty can half full of grease. 

Congratulations Jeff on your purchase. I wonder if Jeff has an older piece of equipment around,...." Honey,( sometimes helps) the old machine won't operate well using modern grease"...it's kinda like classic coke and new coke, the original formula is best.

We are probably ok concerning metric measurements, ..it appears Australia just began allowing metric unit use in 1947.....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_Australia

Although there was debate in Australia's first Parliament after federation to consider adopting the metric system,[2] metric units first became legal for use in Australia in 1947 when Australia signed the Metre Convention (or Convention du Mètre). However, Imperial "Weights and Measures" were most commonly used until the Commonwealth government began the metric changeover in the 1970s.

I am still on the search for the Mobilubricant can, ...there are several 1 lb round cans out there on the net, but haven't located the 5 lb square can so far. I think Joy has a great idea in contacting collectors in that field, and encourage her to pursue that avenue.

[Matt Revington]

See below for the full frame of the photo.  What's going on in this picture?  They're in Darwin, Australia - the last "real place" before the long hop to Howland.  It seems safe to assume that they're either off-loading stuff to leave in Darwin or they're loading stuff aboard that has been acquired in Darwin.  Two parachutes, a bottle of nitrogen for servicing the landing gear struts, a spare tail wheel, a control yoke, a can of tomato juice (on the cabin floor), a "paint can" style can of lubricant on the ground, and the Mobilubricant can AE is holding.  "Last Flight" says she left the parachutes in Darwin but press accounts by journalists who were there say she picked up two parachutes that had been shipped to her in Darwin.  Also, off-loading full cans of lubricant she might need in servicing the aircraft in Lae doesn't make sense, so it looks like this is all stuff she has acquired in Darwin.
Metric?  When did Australia go metric?  I can read "lbs" on the can of lubricant on the ground.

While it could be loading/off loading it could be during or immediately after  customs had gone through the Electra.  So some of this stuff was just removed and examined
From arrival at Darwin chapter in "Last Flight":
"We were pounced upon by a doctor as we rolled to a stop, and thereupon were examined thoroughly for tropical diseases. No one could approach us or the airplane until we had passed muster. If this work is done at all it should be thorough, and I approved the methods, although the formalities delayed refueling operations. The customs officials had to clear the Electra as if she were an ocean-going vessel, but that was done with much dispatch. Inasmuch as we had little in the plane but spare parts, fuel and oil, the process was simplified."

[Ric Gillespie]

"The customs officials had to clear the Electra as if she were an ocean-going vessel, but that was done with much dispatch. Inasmuch as we had little in the plane but spare parts, fuel and oil, the process was simplified."

"Clearing," in this context, does not mean clearing everything out of the vessel or aircraft.  Our expedition vessel has to "clear" out of our embarkation port.  This involves an inspection of the ship's papers and the the crew and passenger passports.  Officials also confirm that nothing is being imported or exported without proper authorization and duties paid.